Mirror of the Moon 1?
by Lady Casper-san
Summary: The pain of the past hasn't been forgotten. The stillness of the air still hangs of war and blood. A still fighting Kagome slumbers in pain from her last attack from the resurrected Kikyou. And yet the blood thirsty woman now stands before Kagome head to


By: Lady Casper

Thanks to Caliborn and Calla Lilly for their help ()

Pairing: IY/Kag/Kik

Disclaimer: Just the plot is mine…that's it.

Mirror of the Moon

The night was cool, and the stars twinkled brightly at the slumbering people of feudal Japan. The moon was whole and bright, brimming with life as it competed with the stars' extravagant lights. The fire burned its last amber life before going out completely. The young demon, feeling suddenly cold, left his sleeping space and walked over to another, older, demon.

He pushed at the older demon until he literally fell over, making him wake quite abruptly. He glared with vengeance for the interruption of his rest.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" Inuyasha barked.

"Oh," Shippo said in surprise. "Is that what you were doing?"

Inuyasha pounded the small boy in the head for the sarcastic remark. "Yeah, yeah… What do you want?"

Shippo, rubbing his head, whined, "I just wanted you to get some more fire wood! It's getting cold. The fire went out."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha snapped, "And the reason you can't do it yourself is...?"

Shippo copied Inuyasha's rolling of his eyes. "Because, dummy, I'm smaller, weaker and colder than you are." With a look of sleep evident in his face, Inuyasha got up, out of his makeshift bed, and walked over to a sleeping Kagome. She was still sound asleep, which was a good thing, considering she needed it after her last attack from Kikyo.

It was still like a dream to him: Kikyo attacking Kagome without mercy for her reincarnation what so ever. What was it that made Kikyo hate Kagome with such maddening fire in her eyes? To try and kill her own reincarnation? Was it that she knew of Kagome's feelings for him, or was it his feelings for Kagome that made Kikyo strive to kill her? All he knew was that he loved them both; even with her attempts on Kagome's life, he still loved Kikyo. He also knew that she was aware of the fact that no matter what she did, he would always love her.

Kagome even once brought up the subject that Kikyo was using that knowledge to her advantage. He knew it was true; he didn't have a doubt that it wasn't, actually. Bringing his hand over to Kagome's, he cupped hers with his own.

_Kagome, I am sorry for whatever pain I brought to you. I truly am. I just don't wanna keep hurting you like this. _

Inuyasha brought Kagome's hand to his face, kissing the back of it, and then placing it back down on her chest.

Inuyasha began getting up when a small smack on the back of his head made him turn, seeing a very pissed-off child fox.

"What?" Inuyasha looked innocent. The child fumed.

"What do you mean, 'what?' What in the world are you doing? Are you going to get the wood or not?" Shippo walked around to see what exactly Inuyasha was doing. Then he noticed Kagome grimace. "Inuyasha, do you think Kagome will get better before Naraku comes around to fight again?"

Inuyasha looked at the child. At first, it was as if he wasn't even focusing on Shippo; he was distracted, thinking. Then he slipped back into reality and looked at Shippo with remorse. Putting his hand on Shippo's small furry head to comfort him, he murmured, "I really don't know, Shippo. I don't know what to do if Kagome is dragged in again by the Soul Stealers like last time."

Seeing the serious expression on Inuyasha's face, Shippo dropped the subject, changing it back to fire wood. "So . . . about the wood . . .?"

"Yeah. . . I'll go get it. You stay here with Kagome and the others, ok? Keep an eye on Kagome for me while I'm gone." Shippo nodded, and then saluted the taller man. Inuyasha smiled and walked into the forest.

Shippo's smile slowly faded as Inuyasha fell into the night's shadowy embrace. He turned his back on the space where Inuyasha had stood, looking back to where Kagome lay in silent terror. Gripping her blanket, she fell into an episode of fear once again. Something inside was still waging an all out battle of power in her heart. Kagome, unfortunately, wasn't making it.

Shippo squeezed his hand into a fist. "Why does Kikyo want to kill Kagome so badly? What has Kagome ever done to her? Can't that woman see Kagome was just trying to help her?" 

A hand rested on the young fox's shoulder. Shippo turned to see Miroku looking at him, then at the restless Kagome.

"We are all alike in our feelings which we are born with. It is only natural to feel for any living creature. Kikyo is just not facing the facts of dying. She only wants to live freely. I guess seeing Kagome alive is somehow reminding Kikyo that _she _is no longer of the living."

A still groggy Sango woke up to the conversation instinctively from her late nights of training. Mothering she felt she had to go check on the still unwell Kagome. Without warning Sango stood, then sat next to Kagome and stroked her dampened hair out her eyes. "In truth, not even Inuyasha can make amends with Kikyo's soul but…"

Miroku finished for her. "--But in fact it's Kagome who is the only one capable of seeing Kikyo through her emotions."

Shippo became confused. "How do you figure Kagome could be the one?"

Sango looked at the once brilliant fire, now dwindled to embers. "It's because Kagome and Kikyo are actually quite alike in their emotions, and not because one is the other's reincarnation. It's the emotion of love towards Inuyasha, and also many other reasons that have nothing to do with him."

"Yes, it seems you have seen it as well, Sango." Miroku looked at the helpless girl, still unconscious. "When you look at Kikyo and Kagome, you see that they once were the same soul; yet now as they are apart, they are searching for one another. One is stronger than the other emotionally, but the other is stronger physically. Right now, Kagome is not feeling the effects of the battle between Kikyo and herself, but rather, the feelings that haunt Kikyo are forcing themselves into a Kagome's dream." Miroku paused and looked at Sango. "These haunting feelings are looking for warmth and hope from Kagome's soul because they find none in Kikyo's. The two women are actually a lot closer than they think."

Kagome began stirring in her sleep once more. Something seemed to be attacking her again. As she gripped and twisted the blankets in her sweaty palms, her head fell off her pillow. Sango, seeing her in distress, immediately placed her head back on the pillow, then continued stroking her hair. As Sango caressed the pained girl, Kagome began to sleep quietly again, for a little while at least.

Sango kept up her methods as much as she could. "Here's something I don't get. If we're capable of seeing this, why can't Kikyo, or for that matter, even Inuyasha?"

Miroku closed his eyes, thinking. "For Kikyo, it has nothing to do with her not being capable; it's more along the lines of not feeling the desire to be saved. Inuyasha, on the other hand, doesn't want to have to put more thought into what Kikyo could be trying to find. So instead, he keeps trying to save her, thinking in his mind that is the best solution to Kikyo's misfortunes."

Shippo looked at the couple. "So, are you saying that neither Kikyo nor Kagome will be better until Inuyasha realizes that he can't save or protect Kikyo any longer? I know for a fact that Inuyasha would never stop protecting the women he loves. Just 'cause Kagome is a part of Inuyasha's heart, it doesn't mean he has forgotten the other half of his heart that loves Kikyo."

"Yes, Shippo." Miroku nodded in agreement. "The only way for Inuyasha to give up Kikyo is for Kikyo herself to give up Inuyasha. Of course, this is no easy task, for we don't know everything that goes on in Kikyo's mind. The only person that knows something is not Inuyasha, or even Kikyo, for that matter, but in fact Kikyo's other half . . ."

The fox child and slayer both looked at the monk with utter shock.

Sango questioned, "You mean Kagome?"

The monk only nodded that she understood what he meant. "Kagome knows of this, but no one on the part of the other two parties does."

Sango stuttered, "You can't mean that Kagome has to convince the both of them, do you? That isn't right! Why should she have to be given such a difficult task?"

The monk only shrugged.

Shippo walked back over to the sleeping girl, seeing that she wasn't sweating any longer, just sleeping, for once. Shippo laid next to the girl and snuggled with her, as best he could, without disturbing her well-deserved peace. Kagome, feeling warmth next to her body, cuddled closer to Shippo.

Farther away from the campsite and the group, Inuyasha walked along the river that flowed quietly. The sounds of the water soothed him as he thought of Kagome's condition, and, of course, who had made that possible. He breathed in the fresh air coming from the numerous trees that surrounded him. There had to be a way to save Kikyo without endangering Kagome. But the question remained, how?

Inuyasha could never hurt Kikyo, and because of his weakness, Kagome was suffering. Even with the attacks on Kagome's life, Kagome still wouldn't leave Inuyasha's side no matter how dangerous it got. She wouldn't leave him alone to fend for himself. He did love her, but because his past lover was attacking his present one, his mind turned upside-down; it turned to basically nothing, then resurrected back again with vicious headaches and momentary flashbacks.

"What the hell am I going to do?"

Back at the campsite, inside Kagome's dreams, Kagome could see nothing but blood everywhere. It was on the ground, the trees, even the sky. Kagome looked down from the bloody sky to finally take notice how she was dressed. She was wearing the red kimono that Kikyo wore when she was a priestess. The top of it was no longer white, as the blood from everywhere soaked into the white cotton.

Kagome freaked, seeing the blood not only on her clothes, but also on her hands. Racing towards what seemed to be a river that wasn't affected by the blood, Kagome saw her reflection. On her face, she saw blood on her paled cheeks and blood in her hair.

'Where is this blood coming from?'

Kagome began to sink her drenched hands in the water when her reflection changed. Instead of seeing herself, she saw it ripple and then instantly become calm. Yet the face was no longer Kagome's, but the face of the murderous woman that had tried taking her life countless times.

Kagome's hands trembled at the sight of the dead priestess's face in the water below. She wanted to scream but found that she had no voice. Bringing her hands to her face, she tried to block the sight by shutting her eyes tightly. Kagome's heart was racing so fast, it could have skipped a few beats without her noticing.

Kagome was concentrating so hard on keeping out the image of the woman's face that she almost didn't hear a woman's voice. The voice sounded so familiar, as if she heard the person speaking before, but where? Kagome listened for the voice. She knew the owner; she was sure of it. Of course the only way to find out was to open her eyes.

Slowly opening her near-swollen eyes, Kagome looked back into the river, only to see her own reflection again.

'Wait. Did I just dream it, or was it real?' Kagome began to get off of her knees to clean her face. When she was nearly up, Kagome heard the voice again… and it was coming from behind her.

The voice was the same, definitely, but whoever its owner was still made her skin shiver with uncertainty. Kagome wasn't sure if she even wanted to find out…. Swirling to meet the voice face-to-face, the only word that Kagome could get out was the name of its owner. "Kikyo."

This Kikyo looked different, though, from the one roaming about the earth trying to kill her. No, this was a totally different Kikyo. Her hair fell around her face as blood seeped into her own kimono, just like Kagome's did, but when Kagome looked down to see if it was the same she noticed she no longer wore the kimono, but instead her school uniform, no blood on it whatsoever.

Kagome looked up at the blood-beaten Kikyo to notice that the woman was trying to say something. She was pointing to the arrow that was stuck in her chest.

"That arrow wasn't there when I first saw her, so where did it come from?" Kagome was so confused; her mind began to do somersaults. Kagome looked at the wound from the arrow and then back at Kikyo. Why did she have an arrow in her? Kikyo was the markswomen, so then how had she been shot that badly? Had she let that happen? Who shot the arrow?

Before Kagome could form an answer, it hit her suddenly Kikyo needed the arrow out immediately. But would the Kikyo here allow her to pull it out? The Kikyo she knew would shoot her down, or some how try to kill her…but this woman didn't seem like that person. She seemed so much different than the blood-thirsty killer that wished for Kagome's demise.

Pulling her concerns away from her mind, she ran to the bleeding woman. Kikyo began to collapse, but landed in Kagome's embrace just in the knick of time.

"Kikyo, tell me, who did this to you?" Kagome talked as sympathetically as she could.

Blinking a few times, Kikyo answered, "You did."

Kagome was stunned. "What?"

That was all she could get out before Kikyo began to fall asleep. Kagome shook her head and tried to understand what the woman in her arms had said.

Kagome wanted to make sense of it all, but she also didn't want to disturb Kikyo's rest. The woman was injured, after all, no matter who had caused this. She needed her rest.

Luckily for Kagome, there was a tree right behind them. Leaning back on the bark, Kagome sighed, "Guess I might as well get comfortable. Seems like I am going to be here for a little while longer."

Resting her head against the tree, she closed her eyes and faded into another dream.

Tbc…


End file.
